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🔹 General Information
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Common Name: Call Duck
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Scientific Classification: Anas platyrhynchos domesticus (domestic duck subspecies)
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Origin: The Netherlands (originally bred as decoys for hunting wild ducks)
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Status: Domesticated breed, popular as pets, show birds, and ornamental ducks
🔹 Physical Description
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Size: Smallest domestic duck breed
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Weight:
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Drakes: 600–900 g (1.3–2 lbs)
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Ducks: 500–800 g (1.1–1.8 lbs)
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Body: Short, compact, and rounded with a short bill
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Head: Relatively large and round with a short neck
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Plumage: Wide variety of color varieties—white, mallard, silver, blue fawn, apricot, black, chocolate, pied, and more
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Voice: Very loud, especially females, with a distinctive high-pitched call (originally bred for hunters to lure wild ducks)
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Lifespan: 7–10 years with good care
🔹 Temperament & Behavior
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Personality: Friendly, social, active, and alert
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Intelligence: Quick learners, can be tamed easily if raised with human interaction
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Social Needs: Thrive in small groups or pairs (best not kept alone)
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Behavior:
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Good foragers and enjoy dabbling in water
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Females are noisier, while drakes are quieter
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Can be flighty, so secure enclosures may be needed
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🔹 Diet
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Base Diet: Quality waterfowl pellets or duck grower feed
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Supplements: Cracked corn, wheat, peas, oats, and duck-safe grains
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Fresh Foods: Leafy greens, peas, chopped vegetables, mealworms (as treats)
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Water Access: Essential for digestion (must have drinking water deep enough to submerge their bills)
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Avoid: Avocado, chocolate, salty or moldy foods, raw potatoes, onions
🔹 Care Requirements
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Housing:
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Secure coop or duck house (predator-proof) with straw or wood shavings for bedding
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Need access to an outdoor run or pond
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Water Needs: Enjoy swimming, but don’t strictly need a large pond—small kiddie pools or tubs are sufficient if cleaned regularly
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Space: At least 4–5 sq ft per bird in the house, plus outdoor roaming space
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Enrichment: Water for dabbling, mud patches, and space to forage
Inquiry - Call Duck Grade B (Long Beak)
